diff --git a/src/sourmash_utils.py b/src/sourmash_utils.py
index e5fbf85..ec1cea1 100644
--- a/src/sourmash_utils.py
+++ b/src/sourmash_utils.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 "Python utilities for sourmash plugins and scripts."
 import sourmash
+from sourmash.picklist import PickStyle
 from sourmash import sourmash_args
 from sourmash.cli import utils as sourmash_cli
 
@@ -76,13 +77,16 @@ def add_standard_minhash_args(parser):
     sourmash_cli.add_scaled_arg(parser)
 
 
-def create_minhash_from_args(args, *, track_abundance=False, **defaults):
+def create_minhash_from_args(args=None, *, ksize=None, scaled=None, moltype=None, track_abundance=False, **defaults):
     default_moltype = defaults.get('moltype')
-    moltype = sourmash_args.calculate_moltype(args, default=default_moltype)
-    ksize = args.ksize or defaults.get('ksize')
+
+    if args:
+        moltype = sourmash_args.calculate_moltype(args, default=default_moltype)
+        ksize = args.ksize or defaults.get('ksize')
+        scaled = args.scaled or defaults.get('scaled')
+
     if not ksize:
         ksize = DEFAULTS[moltype]['ksize']
-    scaled = args.scaled or defaults.get('scaled')
     if not scaled:
         scaled = DEFAULTS[moltype]['scaled']
 
@@ -92,15 +96,27 @@ def create_minhash_from_args(args, *, track_abundance=False, **defaults):
                        track_abundance=track_abundance)
 
 
-def load_index_and_select(filename, minhash_obj, *, raise_on_empty=True):
+def load_index_and_select(filename, minhash_obj, *, picklist=None, pickfile=None, coltype=None, colname=None, pickstyle=PickStyle.INCLUDE, raise_on_empty=True, args=None):
     """Load a sourmash Index object from filename,
     selecting sketches compatible with minhash_obj.
     """
     idx = sourmash.load_file_as_index(filename)
+
+    if args is not None:
+        pl = sourmash_args.load_picklist(args)
+    elif pickfile:
+        picklist_arg = f"{pickfile}:{colname}:{coltype}:{pickstyle.name.lower()}"
+        pl = sourmash_args.load_picklist(picklist=picklist_arg)
+    else:
+        pl = picklist
+
     idx = idx.select(ksize=minhash_obj.ksize,
                      moltype=minhash_obj.moltype,
                      scaled=minhash_obj.scaled,
-                     abund=minhash_obj.track_abundance)
+                     abund=minhash_obj.track_abundance,
+                     picklist=pl 
+                     )
+    print(idx)
     if not idx:
         raise ValueError(f"no matching sketches in '{filename}' for k={minhash_obj.ksize} moltype={minhash_obj.moltype} scaled={minhash_obj.scaled}")
     return idx
diff --git a/tests/podar-ref.picklist.csv b/tests/podar-ref.picklist.csv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9b3cba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/podar-ref.picklist.csv
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+accession,taxid,superkingdom,phylum,class,order,family,genus,species,strain
+AE000782.1,224325,Archaea,Euryarchaeota,Archaeoglobi,Archaeoglobales,Archaeoglobaceae,Archaeoglobus,Archaeoglobus fulgidus,Archaeoglobus fulgidus DSM 4304
+NC_000909.1,243232,Archaea,Euryarchaeota,Methanococci,Methanococcales,Methanocaldococcaceae,Methanocaldococcus,Methanocaldococcus jannaschii,Methanocaldococcus jannaschii DSM 2661
+NC_003272.1,103690,Bacteria,Cyanobacteria,,Nostocales,Nostocaceae,Nostoc,Nostoc sp. PCC 7120,
+AE009441.1,178306,Archaea,Crenarchaeota,Thermoprotei,Thermoproteales,Thermoproteaceae,Pyrobaculum,Pyrobaculum aerophilum,Pyrobaculum aerophilum str. IM2
+AE009950.1,186497,Archaea,Euryarchaeota,Thermococci,Thermococcales,Thermococcaceae,Pyrococcus,Pyrococcus furiosus,Pyrococcus furiosus DSM 3638
+AE009951.2,190304,Bacteria,Fusobacteria,Fusobacteriia,Fusobacteriales,Fusobacteriaceae,Fusobacterium,Fusobacterium nucleatum,
+AE010299.1,188937,Archaea,Euryarchaeota,Methanomicrobia,Methanosarcinales,Methanosarcinaceae,Methanosarcina,Methanosarcina acetivorans,Methanosarcina acetivorans C2A
+AE009439.1,190192,Archaea,Euryarchaeota,Methanopyri,Methanopyrales,Methanopyraceae,Methanopyrus,Methanopyrus kandleri,Methanopyrus kandleri AV19
+NC_003911.12,246200,Bacteria,Proteobacteria,Alphaproteobacteria,Rhodobacterales,Rhodobacteraceae,Ruegeria,Ruegeria pomeroyi,Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3
diff --git a/tests/podar-ref.zip b/tests/podar-ref.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0042f12
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/podar-ref.zip differ
diff --git a/tests/test_sourmash_utils.py b/tests/test_sourmash_utils.py
index 8e1ab63..0c56f85 100644
--- a/tests/test_sourmash_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_sourmash_utils.py
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 from sourmash_utils import *
+from sourmash_utils import create_minhash_from_args, load_index_and_select
+    
+import os
 
 
 def test_basic():
@@ -59,3 +62,24 @@ def test_minhash_create_skipm2n3():
     assert mh.moltype == 'skipm2n3'
     assert mh.scaled == 1000
     assert mh.ksize == 21
+
+
+def test_load_index_and_select():
+    # test loading index and selecting without picklist
+    select_mh = create_minhash_from_args(ksize=31,scaled=1000,moltype='DNA', dna=True, abund=True)
+
+    here = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+    fpath = os.path.join(here, 'podar-ref.zip')
+    idx = load_index_and_select(filename=fpath, minhash_obj=select_mh)
+    assert idx
+
+def test_load_index_and_select_picklist():
+    # test loading index and selecting with picklist
+    select_mh = create_minhash_from_args(ksize=31,scaled=1000,moltype='DNA',abund=True)
+
+    here = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+    fpath = os.path.join(here, 'podar-ref.zip')
+    ppath = os.path.join(here, 'podar-ref.picklist.csv')
+    idx = load_index_and_select(filename=fpath, minhash_obj=select_mh, pickfile=ppath, coltype='ident', colname='accession')
+    assert idx
+    assert len(idx) == 9